Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-15
"REMINISCENCES OF puBk1c MEN
BY BEN: pER1EY PooRE.

Senator Benton always asserted that
he had right to state what he did and
said in executive session. When, aftc,
the Mexican war, he had resisted the
nomination of Brigadier-Gen. kearney
Us Major General by brevet, because OF
his treatment of Col. Fremont, Mr..
Benton gave to reporter some resolu
tions which he had prepared, denounc-
ing Gen. Kearney, saying: "Take
those, if you please, sir. and print them.
L give them to you in the presence OF
these witnesses. 1 desire that they be
promulgated to the country" The
resolutions We're taken by tile CORE
spondent and duly printed.
A few days afterwards, Mr.. Butler
made a motion that the galleries be
cleared and the doors closed, for the
purpose of enabling him to make a
motion concerning the violation of GER
tain executive proceedings. Every one
knew that Mr.. Benton had avowea the
publication of his resolutions against
Gen. Kearpey. avowed it and glorifed
in it, and defied all objections to it. An
alteration of an hour followed, with
excited remarks made under the cover
of discussing the question Of order, the
perpetual sneers and ieers of Mr.. Ben
ton, his hundred interjectional eNclama-
tons, his final pompous declaration
that he threw upon Mr.. Butler the
necessity OF saying what he did, that
he was ready to meet the Senator from
Missouri anywhere. Mr.. Benton, al
though his defiance was thus accepted.
| IN, Il,
charged him with doing anything dis
honorable was liar in his tlrolt. One
cannot conceive the violence and def
ance which he threw into his manner,
his emphasis and gesticulations. Never
did he better merit his sobriquet "The
Mad Buffalo OF the Plains"
John Taliaferro, who represented a
Virginia district in Congress from 1901
to 1913. with two brief Intervals, vas
, during the last Year Of his tenn the
same man that he was when he vas the
confidential adviser of Jefferson Madi-
son, Monroe, the same man that he was
when he opposed the administration Of
the elder Adams. Col. Taliafcrro had
always lived Literally, and had enjoyed,
as much as any man that eyes lived, So
cial pleasures, in all their approved
forms. AT a supper party he was asked
what his secret vas. He replied that
he had never known disease, yhat he
had never made but one meal a day,
that if he took supper he did not dine,
that he had risen early, had always used
exercise. and never on horseback when
he could go on foot: and that under all
circumstances, he had preserved an
equality of temper. His rule was never
to suffer that which was past TO prey
upon his mind, to- enjoy what Provi-
dencc sent him, and to trust to the flu
ture. He finally served as librarian of
the Treasury Department, and died in
1858, aged IS.
The battle Of Bull Run was the real
commencement of the war, as it showed
that the time for compromise was past.
This was what the abolitionists had
longed for, as they had feared that
some amicable adjustment OF the ma
tional troubles would have been made
at the Peace Congress. and their or
gans shouted, Con to Richmond" al
though military men We're unanimous
! i'll their opposition to forward move
! ment. AT last Gen. Mcdowell celnct-
antly consented to advance, and having
found that the enemy's works COM
manding the fords could not be carried
by assault without a great loss. con-
/ centrated his forces at Centreville, and
advanced by the flank around the forls
to attack the Confederates at Manassas.
The advancing columns of Union
soldiers, with glistening bayonets gay
flags and bands performing patriotic
airs, moved through the primeval for
ests of the Old Dominion They were
accompanied by crowd Of spectators,
who had driven out from Washington
to witness the fight, as they would have
gone to witness u horse-race or q game
Of baseball. The Union officers, smart.
ing under the insinuations Of politicians
that they dared not fight, gallantly led
their undisciplined commands into the
range of the enemys guns, where they
fought like veterans. At first it was
thought that victory had perched on
the Union flags, but the decimated Con
federates received fresh courage from
the arrival Of reinforcements, and the
tide of battle was turned in their favor,
A retreat was ordered which soon be-
came a disgraceful rol,t, and it was i'm.
possible to control men who had lost
all presence OF mind and only longed
for absence OF body.
The Confederates were in no condi
ton to follow up the victory which
they had gained and to press on tc
Washington, and the defeat secured the
support of every loyal man in the
Northern States for the Union cause,
whatever his previous political conyic
tons might have been. Practical issues
were presented, and there was no time
for hesitation or indecision. 10 use
the words Of Stephen A. Douglas in lis
last public speech: "The conspiracy is
now known, armies have been raised
war is levied to accomplish it. There
are only two sides to the question
Every man must be for the United
States OF against it. There can be Nc
neutrals in this war: only republicans
OF traitors"
Clark Mills, the sculptor, used t.
narrate how Mr.. Browere, & New Yorl
sculptor, attempted to take a cast il
plaster Of the head Of Thomas Jeffer
son. The family Of the ex-Presiden
We're opposed to it, but he finally con
scented, saying that he could not find i
in his heart 10 refuse q man So triHint